


what is willed and what is done

by coruscantguard (nadiavandyne), nadiavandyne



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton
Genre: Gen, Mentioned Obi-Wan Kenobi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, but this is post melida/daan, maaaaybe implied neglect?, post Melida/Daan, the jedi raise kids communally so not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24957856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nadiavandyne/pseuds/coruscantguard, https://archiveofourown.org/users/nadiavandyne/pseuds/nadiavandyne
Summary: "You've been away too long," Mace says, halting Qui-Gon in his tracks, surprising them both equally. This wasn't a topic he had planned to address today, as he didn't want Qui-Gon to puff up andleaveagain but—The Force had willed it, and the greatest mistake a Jedi could make was ignoring the force.
Relationships: Qui-Gon Jinn & Mace Windu
Comments: 3
Kudos: 84





	what is willed and what is done

"You've been away too long," Mace says, halting Qui-Gon in his tracks, surprising them both equally. This wasn't a topic he had planned to address today, as he didn't want Qui-Gon to puff up and _leave_ again but—

The Force had willed it, and the greatest mistake a Jedi could make was ignoring the force.

Qui-Gon spins around, annoyance lacing his Force presence as he leaned into his usual dramatics when questioned about anything he did. It was a trait he had learned from Master Dooku, one Mace prayed he wouldn't pass down to his Padawan. "I've been away for as long as the Force willed I would be away."

Sith _spit_ , it was _as long as the Force willed_. Mace leveled a blank look in his direction, but as usual, Qui-Gon showed no sign of even noticing it. "I suppose the fact that Padawan Kenobi is following around Knight Ti like an abandoned tooka is also something the Force willed, then? Should I inform her that she's going to have a new partner on her missions?" Mace asks, his voice as serious as it ever is when he's speaking of professional matters. "Even though she likes Kenobi, I can't imagine that she'll be _pleased_. Still... unlike you, Qui-Gon, she's proven herself apt at actually keeping in contact with the Council during her missions, so at least when she leaves him behind he'll hopefully have to counsel with Master Yoda about his dreams less. Not that _Yoda_ minds, but Depa mentioned that his friends are more than a little worried about how bad his dreams are these days."

Qui-Gon scowls, face twisting up in an ugly expression that encompassed all of his old friend's worst traits. It's expected, considering the fact that Mace just challenged how he was treating his Padawan, implied that his actions were the main cause of the boy's nightmares, and flat out said that a Knight who's ceremony had only been two cycles ago could train his Padawan better than he could. It's not welcome though, and disappointment curls through him, because although Mace may have been harsh, he had also been honest, yet all that Mace was picking up from Qui-Gon was a personal affront, not any deep concern for Obi-Wan.

He wouldn't actually ask Knight Ti to take on a padawan— that would be both cruel and foolish— but at least Shaak wasn't so attached to her own pride that she'd care more about the personal offense than her padawan's mental health. 

...That’s not accurate, though, and it feels _wrong_ to Mace the moment he thinks it, so he takes a step back, reassesses. It’s not that Qui-Gon cares _more_ about his own feelings, it’s that he thinks the offense outweighs--

Oh.

It’s that his faith in Obi-Wan’s resilience and personal dislike for the mind healers has him vastly underestimating how badly Melida/Daan had affected Obi-Wan. It’s that he thinks Mace is using Obi-Wan as an excuse to rag on him for not updating the Council, and trying to guilt trip him via his padawan.

This... is going to be an interesting conversation. Mace knows _that_ with the same certainty that he has regarding the existence of his inevitable migraine at the end of this.

Force’s sake, Qui-Gon. _Force’s_. _Sake_.

**Author's Note:**

> \- You know, I'm pretty sure the timeline with Shaak here does NOT line up, especially since she had two padawans, but the mental image of baby Obi following her around was WAY too good to pass up. So, uh, begone timelines!
> 
> \- Come talk to me on Tumblr [@coruscantguard!](https://coruscantguard.tumblr.com/)


End file.
